Samsung wants to block Apple selling the iPhone 4S in France and Italy

It seems that not a day goes by without a new development in the ongoing spat between Apple and Samsung over the supposed similarity between the two companies’ devices. Now Samsung has announced that it is lodging preliminary requests to place an injunction on sales of the iPhone 4S is France and Italy.

In this case, Samsung’s gripe is over two patents related to Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) standards for 3G mobile handsets, which it claims Apple is infringing in its new handset which was announced less than a day ago and is due to go on sale on 14 October.

In a statement as fiercely worded that you’d expect from this battle, Samsung says in its announcement:

The infringed technology is essential to the reliable functioning of telecom networks and devices and Samsung believes that Apple’s violation as being too severe and that the iPhone 4S should be barred from sales.

Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology. We believe it is now necessary to take legal action to protect our innovation.

Injunction requests are being placed in Paris and Milan today, Samsung says. Last week the company warned that an injunction against sales of the new iPhone may be forthcoming before it had even been announced, following a similar move in South Korea.

The move comes on the same day that it was revealed that Samsung is seeking to have the iPad’s design rights revoked in the European Union.